Developmentally Appropriate Teaching Strategies

Today’s classrooms are becoming more and more diverse with students that have disabilities and those that come from different cultures. It is important for educators to ensure that their teaching strategies are appropriate for all of the children in their classroom. When it comes to the classroom there can be many cultural challenges that educators will have to address to ensure that all students are growing and developing appropriately. Educators need to make sure that they are capable of addressing each of their students’ needs individually in order for the students to be able to succeed.Educators must be able to define and address any cultural challenges in the classroom in order for each and every one of their students to be successful. It is important for educators to be able to identify challenges they may have when using different teaching strategies to ensure students are getting the appropriate education. Effective teaching strategies help students to learn. Si nce not all children learn in the same ways it is important to be flexible and willing to change a strategy so that it meets everyone’s needs.Some educators may be unsure of their ability to reach and teach culturally diverse children. Some may even express reservations about their ability to teach students that are from a culture that is different from their own (Chisholm, 1994). One challenge involved with ensuring that teaching strategies are appropriate for culturally diverse children is effective communication. Educators must assess their students to see what level of development they are at. Communicating with parents is a great way to learn more about the students as individuals and their cultural background.Teachers can communicate with parents to find out what their goals for their child are, find out more about what their personality is like and even some of their favorite things to do. When educators understand more about each child individually then they can apply the appropriate teaching strategies. If the children seem uninterested in an assignment, the educator can adjust it to get them more interested and willing to complete the assignment. Overcoming stereotyping is a challenge educators can encounter when it comes to ensuring that teaching strategies are appropriate for culturally diverse children.Some educators may compare one child to another child that comes from the same cultural background and use the same teaching strategy. One way to overcome this is to make sure that educators know each of the students individually instead of comparing one to another or relying on stereotyping. â€Å"To truly engage students, we must reach out to them in ways that are culturally and linguistically responsive and appropriate, and we must examine the cultural assumptions and stereotypes we bring into the classroom that may hinder interconnectedness.† (Teaching Tolerance, 1991)Once they know more about each of the students then they can avo id stereotyping and adjust their teaching strategy to meet the individual needs of the students in the classroom. Another challenge educator’s encounter is the cultural gap that is between students and teachers. It is important for educators to understand that some culturally diverse children may need things explained to them in a different way for them to gain an understanding.If educators took the time to learn about the various cultures that are present in their school then they could possibly bridge the cultural gap between them and their students. Educators can learn more about their students culture by asking their students questions and getting to their level in order to gain an understanding of their cultures. Once this is accomplished they will have a better understanding on which teaching strategies to use with the students. People will often use nonverbal communication through behaviors like facial expressions, body language, gestures, etc.These behaviors are viewe d as a sociological framework called symbolic interactionism. Children that come from a different culture will more than likely have different ways of communicating nonverbally. For example, in some cultures it is considered to be disrespectful to look someone in the eye when they are talking to you. Most teachers expect you to look at them when they are talking to you so that they can see that you are paying attention and understand. There are certain behaviors that are associated with different cultures that are considered to be appropriate.â€Å"Although different cultures may share similar goals for children, the methods and practices that are implemented to instill those values in children may differ dramatically. † (Bojcyk, 2012, sec. 2. 2) For example, some cultures believe that children should be seen but not heard. Children that come from a culture that believes that may be more withdrawn and quiet in the classroom. Piaget’s preoperational stage involves child ren from two years old to seven years old. Children in this stage can mentally represent events and objects and engage in symbolic play.They are only able to focus on one aspect of a problem and their thoughts and communications are usually egocentric (Recker, 1999). Children from culturally diverse backgrounds may mentally represent objects and events differently than the other children. It is important for educators to provide children with other views that may conflict with their own in order for them to gain an understanding of others views. Doing this can help them in their development and is an important step in increasing their cognitive development.When educators provide their students with opportunities to work with others, the students will encounter different views of the other students and learn to look at things from someone else’s point of view. â€Å"Although individuals within a pluralistic society must learn to accept their own ethnic identity and to become comfortable with it, they must also learn to function effectively within other ethnic cultures and to respond positively to individuals who belong to other ethnic groups.They also need to learn how to interact with members of outside groups and how to resolve conflicts with them. † (Banks, 2006) Providing children with activities or assignments that allow them to work together with students from different cultural backgrounds can help in teaching them conflict resolution. At the same time they learn to see things from other points of view and this can help increase their cognitive development and ensure they are successful in school.

Gender And Emotion Essay

Since time immemorial, emotions have always been a fundamental constituent of human beings. However, not all humans attach or detach the same emotions towards things; different people feel differently about varied things and that is why we are all termed as being unique. It is based on this difference in emotions that a lot of debates and researches have been going around in trying to establish whether the emotions we have affect the brain or conversely, whether the brain affects the emotions. Other researchers have-on the other hand- been looking at the subject of emotions differently by opinionating that it varies from one culture to another, one gender to another or even differing based on varied contexts. It is therefore important to circumspectly look at all the angles that have been propagated by different people if an inclusive and satisfactory answer is to be found for the above questions. Many of the studies that have been conducted by researchers highly suggest that the brain largely determines what we feel about different things. Researches by Norman (2003) support this argument by saying that human attributions for different things result from the brain which in effect dictates human behavior. He further says that humans have large brains than other animals and that is why they are able to act more maturely when expressing their emotions. Elder (1996) gives an example by saying that if we feel fear (which is an emotion), then it is based on the fact that we believe (a signal from the brain) something is threatening to us. According to her, Critical thinking precedes and emotional reaction. However, both of these are equally important and signals them should be treated with equal importance. Waxler (2004) also sentiments that â€Å"Our thoughts have profound effect on our emotions, and by learning how to think in our own best interest, we improve our emotional condition. † He proceeds and says that since it is easy to review our thoughts and even control them, then it becomes even easier for us to control our emotions and feel things that are appropriate for us. However, this capacity of the brain to control things has been subject to misuse by some people. Elder (1996) says that â€Å"As we mature, we learn multiple ways to manipulate others, to influence or control others to get what we want. We even learn how to deceive ourselves as to the egocentrism of our behavior. † this is sometimes even taken to the extent of faking feelings like, empathy, generosity, kindness when in real sense, we mean the exact opposite. So the next time you see someone acting â€Å"all good,† be careful because you may just and read between the lines; you may be happy when all that is being done for you is getting fed on lies. On the other hand, other researches purport that emotions affect how we think. An example is the finals of the 2008 FIFA world cup of where Zinedine Zidane, a renowned footballer of France, head-butted Matterazi (an Italian player) after the Italian allegedly made some abusive remarks to him. Speaking after the Interview, Zidane said that he was overwhelmed by emotions and all he could think of at that particular time was t o harm Matterazi. Matsumoto (n. d. ) furthers this argument by saying that â€Å"It is by controlling their emotions that athletes are capable of maintaining high levels of critical thinking and focus, regardless of what sport they are in. † He goes ahead and opinionates that whenever we are emotional, the capacity to think critically is reduced. As a result, athletes who are normally emotional have the tendency of easily losing focus. Tarleton (n. d. ) similarly support this idea by saying that â€Å"Emotions influence how we perceive and react to life, which in turn, determines how content and/or successful we are. The conceptualization or perception of something-according to them-results from feelings that are harbored in our emotions. So if we are able to control our emotions, then it becomes very easy for someone not to think-and consequently-act irrationally. Elder (1996) reports Goleman’s assertion that sometimes feelings come before thought. According to Goleman, â€Å"the emotional mind is far quicker that the rational mind, springing into action without pausing even a moment to consider what it is doing. † This is relatively dangerous as one may act in a way that is not appropriate and consequently end in problems. On the other hand, it may come in handy more so in situations where a person is in a dilemma and is lost for choice yet needs to act aptly. In addition, there is also a group of researchers who hang in the middle of this debatable subject by saying that both the brain and emotions mutually affect one another. In explaining this symbiotic relationship, Tarleton. edu (n. d) say that â€Å"Our thoughts influence how we feel. How we feel influences how we think. These connections are bi-directional and complex. † They go ahead and explicate this by saying that thinking about something good improves our mood while thinking negatively destroys it. Recent studies by some scholars have fundamentally brought an interestingly fresh dimension to this debate of the brain versus emotions. These scholars argue that gender orientation plays a vital role in how one thinks or feels. In spite of being given much emphasis in the recent times, the issue of gender influencing how a person thinks or feels is not a new concept. Even in the pre-modern times, men and women were expected to think and feel in a specific way based on the stereotypes of that time (Sungur and Tekkaya, 2005). Currently, men are debatably depicted in most areas as being strong and dominant while the women being second. Brescoll and Uhlmann (2007) in their work cite Heilman (2001) and Rudman (1998) articulate that women are should be kinder than men, and they induce negative responses from others when they fail to act according to the premeditated ways expected of them. They expound on this concept by writing that men are believed to be strong and should not show weakly emotions like crying just in the same way, women should not show anger. This has however not augured well with most women-especially the elitists and feminists- who see themselves as being able to â€Å"do better what men can do. † To them, both men and women are equal and none should be given a higher status than the other. When using the gender aspect in depicting intelligence or the capacity to think, the same argument used in emotions is used. Men are disputably depicted as having an upper hand than women. In their defense, they state the numerous organizations that are chaired by them and the many critical positions they hold in the annals of history. Of course this has faced much criticism from the women who consider themselves brighter. However, Pin-pointing who is above the other is not our main concern, what stands out to be counted is the fact that both men and women have made invaluable contributions in various aspects. In addition, their differences and unique qualities make them blend even better in their various roles and thus being to the overall good for both of them. References Tarleton. (n. d. ). Emotions and learning (Mini-mester). Retrieved May 3rd, 2010, from http://webcache. googleusercontent. com/custom? q=cache:m7MMnYFicw8J:www. tarleton. edu/~sanderson/Emotions%2520and%2520Learning(mini-mester). Matsumoto, S. (n. d). Do emotions affect critical thinking? Retrieved May 3rd, 2010, from Retrieved May 3rd, 2010, from http://www. humintell. com/2009/08/do-emotions-affect-critical-thinking/ Waxler, J. (2004) Self-talk: How thoughts affect feelings. Retrieved May 3rd, 2010, from http://www. mental-health-survival-guide. com/cognitive-therapy. htm Lmez. A. Y. Sungur, S. Tekkaya, C. (2005). Investigating students’ logical thinking abilities: the effects of gender and grade level.

Effects of domestic violence domestic abuse on women and children Essay

42% of women and 20% of men sustained minor injuries such as scratches, bruises, broken bones or pregnancy complications (Cathy Meyer, 2016). The result of domestic abuse does have long-term physical effects including digestive problems, hypertension or skin disorders (www.liveabout.com 15/11/17). Family members, especially children, can experience the physical effects of abuse even though they have not been harmed or touched. They can complain about stomach aches, headaches and could experience irregular bowel movements and wet the bed. Many women who have been abused find it difficult to concentrate on their daily activates because of the effects of domestic abuse as they are constantly on edge. If a person is experiencing domestic abuse this can be physical as well as emotional and if the abuse is constant then regular hospital visits and rest days will be needed for a recovery if the person has a job day off will be needed and too many could lead to the person eventually being let off. When children experience domestic violence sometimes they feel confused or it’s their fault. If the violence or arguments takes place at night, it can be very distracting for the child to be able to sleep as they are constantly hearing the abuse given. This could affect their education as they will be tired and have poor concentration, affecting progress. Domestic abuse will have an effect on the victim’s emotional health as it makes them feel a range of emotions, such as anxiety, low self-esteem, suicidal thoughts or could cause a post-traumatic distress which includes unwanted flashbacks , nightmares or uncontrollable thoughts (www.joyfulheartcondition.org). Children who are exposed to domestic violence in their home could develop anxiety, fearing they might be left with the abusive parent who will then take their abuse out on them. Depression is also an emotion that most people will experience as they feel helpless and powerless. This is known to be more common in girls as boys tend to act out with aggression. Alisha Dixon, in the BBC Documentary â€Å"Don’t Hit My mum†, many children feel guilt that they could not prevent the abuse. Children may not want to leave the house in case their parent is unsafe. I found evidence to back this is on saying children will become clingy and not want to leave mum or dad and they feel they have a responsibility for to protect them. When in a domestic violent relationship, it is knowing that the partner will try to control the other person’s life by constantly knowing what they are doing and persuading or telling the victim they cannot go places when they really want to go. This will affect their relationship with family or friends causing the victim to never see them eventually leading them into isolation. Other social behavior includes aggressive behavior and poor social skills, meaning they could not make any friends as their social skills are poor. Bereavement A person dying close to you is hard both on adults and children. They can experience the same feelings as they are going through the same things however someone who is of an older age may be able to deal with the effects in a more mature manner, they will find that their energy levels will be very low as they will have a feeling f numbness inside them. If their energy is low, they will not go out and do daily activities which could lead them to stress and anxiety. Dealing with death and not everyone likes to be around people especially not in a work or school environment. This means that they will be missing out on important days in work or school causing them to fall behind building up more stress and anxiety that version does not need. When people describe losing a loved one they usually describe their self as being numb. Which is a normal defense mechanism of the mind to help you from being overwhelmed with emotions? Other people may experience guilt or anxiety

Globalization Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Globalization - Coursework Example Additionally, its E-commerce website caters to over 10 countries, employs 2.2 million workers, caters to over 245 million customers on a weekly basis, its sales amount is close to $450 billion annually and is now ranked by the Fortune 500, as the best in the retail chain sector. Callahan argues that, its global outlook and its unrivaled pursuit of low prices for their products, have led to its management adopting information systems that have made it a leading innovator. Its innovations include TPS and DSS systems that aid in tracking products, restocking the inventory that cut costs that are passed as savings to the customers. This has enabled Walmart to be considered successful in the concept of supply chain management. Recently, Walmart began embarking on establishing a global information technology system that will lead to the elimination of conventional reliance on local IT which curtails the growth of firms in the US (Callahan, 2011). According to Kizza, some of the obstacles curtailing the full implementation of a global information system include, shifting to an external software package, since most organizations have an in-house IT departments to spearhead such developments. Some of the solutions to this problem include the RFID wireless solution and the development of a global E-commerce platform that connects all the systems used in recent online operations in Europe and the US (Kizza,

Advertising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Advertising - Essay Example The second way, misleadingness, centers only on buyer convictions. A show of misleadingness requires the perception of false purchaser convictions in con$ intersection with introduction to commercial (Hartley 23). Though deception alludes to a case certainty inconsistency, misleadingness alludes to a belief and truth error. Keeping in mind the end goal to show misrepresentation in publicizing, one must confirm the presence of an error. At costs, this is a straightforward assignment, achieved with numerical sureness. For accessibility, be that as it may, it gets to be more convoluted (Hartley 62). What is the base number of promoted things a seller must have accessible for procurement. The America’s day of independence or Fourth of July is here. It is your turn to change the Fourth of July into Christmas with right marketing campaign and print designs. Nike is here to offer you a chance to attend the public ceremony and win a trip to one of the cities of your choice in the U.S. Around and on July the Fourth, most people participate in the noble and proud national culture and tradition of spending money. Therefore, Nike is here to plan BBQs, post games tailgates, parties, fireworks and expanded weekends just to make sure as an American citizen, you are not left behind in this celebration. The advert convinced to frequently use Hotcard.com products even after the fourth of July. In addition, a good and economical manner to start a fourth of July or day of independence marketing promotion is by operating a direct or straight mail crusade or campaign. Advertising your sales for the day of independence is easy for you. For businesses such as restaurants and clubs, it is time to call for any printing your business might require to advertise or promote your events. For instance, flyer, posters, and club cards are wonderful ways for advertising party, BBQ, or show. During Fourth of July, service and retail firms may need to stage up

Is Global Warming Skepticism just Smoke and Mirrors Essay

Is Global Warming Skepticism just Smoke and Mirrors - Essay Example Those who argue that global warming skepticism is just smoke and mirrors contend that global warming is very much real. They further insist that global warming is a phenomenon caused by man’s destructive and indiscriminate activities. They cite greenhouse gas emissions as one of the primary causes of global warming. Studies conducted by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration established that computer models based on man-made emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) matched present manifestations of changes in the Earth’s climate (Henderson, 2005). Greenhouse gas emissions come primarily from our oil-powered vehicles and industries, and these emissions are ultimately causing the greenhouse effect responsible for climate change. Chlorofluorocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride are compounds created by man. The chlorofluorocarbons are used as coolants in refrigerators and air conditioners, and these are also released in the manufacturing of alumin um. Hydrofluorocarbons are a by-product of foam and other manufacturing processes. These carbon emissions are trapped in our atmosphere for prolonged periods of time; and while they are trapped in the Earth’s atmosphere, they also trap the sun’s heat. They damage the ozone layer that protects the earth from the ultraviolet rays of the sun (Ygoy, 2007). And as more industries are being developed, more pollutants are expected to be introduced into our environment to further contribute to global warming. Many environmentalists fiercely argue against global warming skepticism because there are various scientific proofs indicating the veracity of this phenomenon. Since the start of the 20th century, the global surface temperature has increased by 0.74C.

Soccer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Soccer - Essay Example During normal competitions, a win results to three points whereas a draw results to one point. The basic law of this game is that only the goalkeeper should handle the ball using hands during play except in instances of a throw- in (Wingate, 2007). The players should not wear any dangerous material such as jewels whereas the goalkeeper must wear distinguishable clothing that is different from other players and match officials. Substitution of players occurs during the game and the permitted substitutions in a competitive game are three though this number may vary in friendly matches (Wingate, 2007). The reasons for substitution are injury and incompetence of a player. In addition, a coach may substitute a player in case of a tactical switch. A referee preside the game and has complete authority to impose the laws associated with the game. The referee can send a player off the field in case of any serious offence committed such as inappropriate tackling and intentional handling of the ball. A referee may punish a player’s misconduct through caution and issues a yellow card or send off by issuing a red card (Wingate, 2007). A standard match consists of two periods comprising of forty-five minutes each (Wingate, 2007). In addition, there is a fifteen minutes break amid halves. The referee who is the timekeeper may opt to give additional time to recover time lost because of attending an injured player. Conclusively, an individual must master some skills to perfect in this game such as shooting, juggling, and dribbling (Wingate, 2007). Defenders need to master the skill of

Forensic Pathologys Role in Homicide Investigations Research Paper

Forensic Pathologys Role in Homicide Investigations - Research Paper Example Today, when death occurs that raises suspicion, a forensic investigation is conducted so as to understand the cause of death, the identity of the deceased, time, and place where the death occurred, how the death occurred, as well as the circumstances of the death (Wecht & Kaufmann, 2009). However, unlike the investigations initially conducted by coroners, forensic investigations are conducted by professionally trained medical examiners so as to establish the real cause of death. What is notable is that forensic investigation of the cause of death is multi-disciplinary that entails the collaboration of forensic pathologist, forensic scientists, crime scene investigators (CSIs), entomologists, anthropologists, as well as odontologists among other specialists (Wecht & Kaufmann, 2009). This paper will explore the roles of forensic pathologist in homicide investigations. A forensic pathologist refers to a professional medical doctor performing autopsies on people whose deaths have occurred suddenly, unexpectedly or due to poisonings or trauma (Robinson & Cina, 2011). The causes of such deaths are not easy to determine without a special postmortem investigations being conducted on the body to establish the real cause of death and the circumstances that led to the death. Generally when a death has been reported, it is the responsibility of crime scene investigators (CSIs) to move to the scene of the accident and carry out preliminary investigations as to the cause of death (Robinson & Cina, 2011). Nevertheless, it has come out that some deaths especially those involving sudden deaths resulting from homicide such as serial murders are not easy to establish without a postmortem thereby calling for forensic pathologists to carry out investigations. Therefore, one of the major roles of forensic pathologists as far as the investigation of homicide is concerned is the

The Interior Market of Dehenhams in 2014 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The Interior Market of Dehenhams in 2014 - Essay Example Some of the notable designers include Ted Baker, Jane Packer, Erickson Beamon, Janet Reger, Matthew Williamson and Ashley Thomas among others. Based on its high investment in British design for the last 20 years, Debenhams has benefited from a stable financial position that has assisted the company in expanding to other countries. This paper discusses the direction that Debenhams interiors market is heading for 2014 with reference to its customers, products, and the retailer. The consumer In efforts to increase its sales, Debenhams has embarked on increasing the number of customers who purchases its products. Debenhams customers are individual consumers who cut across the whole family regardless of gender, age, and social status as well as foreign customers. Its main business is in clothing though they have adopted various strategies in order to successfully tap footwear industry (Data monitor, 2011). Majority of the customers are women who spend few minutes to almost the whole day i n the stores. The time spent by the customers in the store varies from one store to another depending on their purchasing power. For example, most customers who visit White rose store are middle class earners and spend less time compared to the other store in the city center. They have customer who visit their store on weekly and monthly basis but on average a customer visits the store every quarter and spends about half a day in different sections shopping. More to that, the store boost itself based on increased number of online shoppers through its website as well as their iphone application for the smart phone users and a video facility that offer online display of products, well known designers interviews and photo shoots. (Data monitor, 2011). The company controls 17 percent market share in the clothing industry in United Kingdom. (Data Monitor, 2011). However, many customers visit the stores to compare prices and may end up visiting the store several times without making a pur chase and when they does it, most probably it will be an impulse buying of another product rather that what they needed in the first place. In UK, most shoppers have changed from using traditional shopping method to the internet based shopping. Debenhams has opted to use different channels to reach its target consumers; it has convectional stores as well as online kiosks (Neolane, 2013). It also allows its customers to order products that are not available on their shelves for the same day delivery. Clients adopt shopping methods that suits them. Debenhams customers who adopt new channels are frequent and valuable than then store shoppers (Data Monitor, 2011). Most customers are embracing these changes because online channels offer convenience and are slightly cheaper. This is especially so for Debenhams since most of their customers are women who are busy with family and tight working schedule. Customers are also given ample opportunities to compare the prices of the three products that include furniture, outdoor and lighting brands. In line with this, the company has enhanced its online shop, reduced the delivery period and increased its range of products.

Designing Compensation Systems and Employee Benefits Research Paper

Designing Compensation Systems and Employee Benefits - Research Paper Example Therefore, job evaluation attempts to document the shared and general characteristics of a job. Hence, in a job of driving a car, job evaluation would be attempting to determine the proficiency of the driver in driving the car or how well the person is aware of the roads. Job evaluation thus determines how well a person is handling each of the constituent tasks of the job. Employees receive compensation from companies for their work, however there’s a difference between compensation and pay. Compensation basically includes all types of financial rewards and tangible services which the company provides to the employees. For making the compensation internally consistent, the employees must be convinced that the jobs are being paid for by the employer according to its worth. There are certain jobs within the company which have more scope for contributing to the overall welfare of the company than other jobs. Hence such jobs are the ones which receive a higher pay. For example, in a hospital, the nurses are the ones who contribute greatly to the care of patients; hence the nurses are paid more than the orderlies. Determining the value of each and every job in an organization is very important since it assists in making the pay rates of an organization internally consistent. This value determination of jobs is called job evaluation. Some criteria used for job evaluation include the effort required to perform a job and the difficulty of a particular job. Compensations should also be developed which are market competitive. If for example the pay is low compared to the market, the company would encounter turnover and recruitment problems. If the pay is higher than the market, the company would potentially experience problems with the budget which may result in layoffs. The companies which pay above the market are termed as market leaders while the companies paying below the market rates are

The ABCs of Aphorisms in Kindergarten Essay Example for Free

The ABCs of Aphorisms in Kindergarten Essay An aphorism is a short statement expressing a truth or clever observation. Benjamin Franklin and Robert Fulghum both used aphorisms in things they have written. Ben Franklins Poor Richards Almanac uses aphorisms in a more literal way. However, Robert Fulghum uses his aphorisms in a more metaphorical way. Although the two are different, both writers have the same type of ideas on how to morally live your life. Living a balanced life is an aphorism used by Franklin and Fulghum. Although used in different context and in a slightly different way, they mean the same thing no matter who uses it. In Fulghums aphorism he says, Live a balanced life. Learn some and think some and paint and draw and sing and dance and play and work everyday some. Being simpler in his words yet not in his meaning makes this an interesting aphorism. Also being a little more direct and straight to the point are Franklins words, Eat to live and not live to eat. In spite of the fact that Franklins definition may seem simpler, they are in fact saying the same thing only wording it differently. Both aphorisms mean that one must balance themselves and that you must do everything in moderation and never to excess. Taking a slightly different approach, both men got there message across in an clear and precise manner. A metaphor can be described as a figure of speech in which an expression is used to refer to something that it does not literally denote in order to suggest a similarity. On the contrary, a literary term is one that can be described as very clear and one that expresses emphasis on a topic. Robert Fulghum being a more metaphorical writer, wrote his aphorisms in such a way that they seemed almost too simple to have a deeper meaning. However, that was quite the opposite. The aphorisms were meant to be that way; they were supposed to have a deeper meaning that wasnt available to someone looking at the surface writing. While, in great contrast, Benjamin Franklin wrote his aphorisms with such literal depth that it shone right through his work. Every aphorism of his has a meaning inside of a meaning. Neither of these styles were better, nor worse then the other, yet they both were productive ways of using aphorisms. Using both methods of credible writing, these two terrific men and writers are inspirational and influential in their examples of aphorisms. I personally, prefer Robert Fulghums style of writing to, Benjamin Franklins. I like looking into a statement and pulling it apart to find out what it is truly saying, and Fulghums writing exemplifies that quality in his aphorisms. I respect both styles of aphorism usage, and I think that both, literally and metaphorically, are equally interesting and are helpful incites to our lives. Aphorisms are a much more appealing way to learn about how one views their life and how they view everyone elses life as well.

Operating a Fleet of Electric Taxis Essay Example for Free

Operating a Fleet of Electric Taxis Essay Abstract. The deployment of electric taxi ? eets is highly desirable from a sustainable point of view. Nevertheless, the weak autonomy of this kind of vehicles requires a careful operation. The way of managing such a ? eet and the question of locating charging terminals for the vehicles are addressed in this paper. Methods for dealing with these tasks are proposed and their e? ciency is proved through simulations. 1. Introduction 1. 1. Context. Centrale OO 1 is a pioneering project aiming to deploy in Paris a ? eet of 100 % electric taxis. The company in charge of the management of the ? eet is the Soci? t? du Taxi Electrique Parisien (STEP).ee The deployment of such ? eets ? nds is main motivation in sustainable issues: electric vehicles release almost no air pollutants at the place where they are operated and have less noise pollution than internal combustion engine vehicles. However, the main drawback of an electric vehicle is its weak autonomy – 80 km in the case of the Centrale OO project. In taxi ? eet management, two kinds of requests can be di? erentiated: booking requests and opportunistic requests. The ? rst ones can be immediate or in advance of travel and have to be processed by the taxi dispatching system which assigns the request to a taxi. The opportunistic requests correspond to the traditional taxi services picking up passengers at cab-ranks or from the side of the road. Of course, this kind of requests is not processed by the dispatching system. The constraints of the management, as expressed by the STEP, are †¢ A taxi must never break down †¢ An opportunistic demand inside Paris and its suburbs must always be satis? ed (legal environment of Paris) †¢ The number of booking demands accepted has to be maximized The charging problem of the taxis must therefore be carefully addressed. At a tactical level, a good assignment of the trips to the taxis is crucial. We propose an e? cient way to manage the electric ? eet in real-time while taking into account the charging tasks. At a strategic level, the charging problem includes the determination of the best location for the charging terminals. The signi? cant initial investment (the cost of an electrical charging terminal is about 20. 000 euros) and the restricted vehicle autonomy give a high relevancy to the charging terminal location task. Indeed, a wrong placement may in e? ect lead to a poor ? eet management with vehicles having di?culties to charge the batteries due to charging terminals saturation or even with vehicles constantly running out of charge to keep operating. Our purpose is to propose a practical way for computing the â€Å"best† locations for the charging terminals. 1. 2. Model. We describe now formally the model we deal with in this paper. We derive also some elementary relations, which gives some informations on the capacity of a given system (in terms of number of trips that can be realized by unit of time). 1. 2. 1. Input description. A complete directed graph G = (V, A) models the network. The vertices are points in the city at which trips start and ? nish. They can moreover be used to locate vehicle charging terminals. The arcs model the possible trips. The duration of a trip is a random variable Ta of expectation ? a . The Key words and phrases. charging terminal location; electric vehicles; ? eet management system; mixed integer programming; simulation; taxi dispatching. This project has been funded by R? gion Ile de France. e 1 See the website http://taxioo. com/index. html for an artistic view. 1 hal-00721875, version 2 31 Jul 2012 demand for each possible trip a ? A is assumed to follow a Poisson process of rate ? a . Actually, this demand is split between a booking demand and an opportunistic demand, see Section 5 for a more accurate description. There are n taxis. A taxi consumes ? Wh by unit of time when it is moving. It stores ? Wh by unit of time when it is charging. The number of charging terminals is denoted by r. Several terminals can be located at the same vertex. ? 1. 2. 2. Elementary relations. Let us denote by ? a the average number of demands for a trip a that are ? a ? ?a . accepted by unit of time. We have ? 1 ? ? ? ?a ? a be the Let ? = ? a be the average number of trips accepted by unit of time and let ? = ? ? a? A a? A average duration of an accepted trip. ? The energy consumption of the system by unit of time is ? . The maximal rate of supply in energy is ? r. Therefore, we have the following inequality (1) ? ? ? ? r hal-00721875, version 2 31 Jul 2012 A second inequality can be derived by considerations on the time needed to perform the di? erent tasks. Let us consider a taxi over a time window of su? ciently large duration T . Denote by x the time during ? which it stores energy at a charging terminal. Over the time window, it spends in average T n unit of time with a customer on board. Therefore, we have ? T +x? T n During this duration x, it stores a quantity of energy that must cover in average the consumption over the time window. Hence ? ?T ? ? x n Combining these two inequalities leads to (2) ? (? + ? ) ? n Equations (1) and (2) can be summarized in the following inequality. (3) ? ? ? min ? r n , (? + ? )? Knowing the number of taxis, their e? ciency (encoded by ? ), the number of charging terminals, and their e? ciency (encoded by ?), then an upper bound of the number of trips that can be accepted by unit of time can be calculated. 1. 3. Plan. Section 2 is devoted to the literature review for the two problems addressed in this paper, namely ? eet management and charging terminal location. The following sections – Section 3 and Section 4 – detail the approaches proposed for each of these problems. Next, we describe a simulator that has been implemented for the evaluation of the proposed approaches (Section 5). The results of the experiments are described in Section 6. The paper ends with concluding remarks (Section 7). 2. Literature review 2. 1. Taxi dispatching. Traditional taxi dispatching systems are characterized by two principles. First, simple rules such as for example â€Å"nearest vehicle ? rst† or â€Å"least utilized ? rst† are used for dynamic vehicle assignment and second, the geographical space is usually divided into zones. In the literature, most of works on the topic basically focus on customer waiting time minimization by proposing improved methods for rule-based systems. In this context, Shrivastava et al. [SCMK97] describe a fuzzy model for rule selection and Alshamsi et al. [AAR09] propose a new technique for dynamically divide the dispatch areas. The recent apparition of transportation technologies (GPS, EDI, GIS) has widely increased the opportunities for ? eet management optimization. It is also the case for taxi dispatching. For example, Seow et 2 hal-00721875, version 2 31 Jul 2012 al. [SDL10] propose a collaborative model for taxi dispatching where a set of n taxis of the same zone are de? ned as the agents of the model and a set of n customers as the service-requests. The objective is then to maximize the total service quality solving a collaborative linear assignment problem. However, taxi dispatching is not the only aspect that can be optimized. For example, Lee et al. [LSP08] and Jia et al. [Jia08] use real-time vehicle information to propose a model for taxi relocation recommendation based on demand forecasting and a probability model for the design of taxi stops, respectively. Another approach for ? eet management optimization consists in modeling the problem as a variant of the Pick-up and Delivery Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows (PDVRPTW). The idea is to plan a set of routes satisfying known in advance customer requests. In the taxi management context, Wang et al. [WLC09] propose a bi-criteria two-phase method with an initial feasible assignment ? rst and a tabu search improvement later in order to minimize the number of vehicles and the sum of travel times for advanced bookings. However, the idea to block some vehicles only for advanced bookings might in some cases yield to a ? eet underutilization. Horn and al. [Hor02] and Meng et al. [MMYH10] try to ? ll the gap between simple non-optimized rule-based taxi dispatching systems and static routing approaches. The second paper describes a genetic network programming in order to ?nd the optimal balance between the waiting time and the detour time. The work of Horn [Hor02] is of particular interest in relation to the present work, proposing a taxi dispatching system architecture similar to our ? eet management system. He proposes a system for vehicle travel time minimization composed by a set of insertion algorithms to decide whether a new customer is accepted or not and a set of optimization mechanisms in order to improve the solution. However, some important di? erences exist between our work and these last two ? eet management systems. The ?rst di? erence is that in our case, the constraints related to the restricted autonomy of the vehicles have also to be taken into account by scheduling charging tasks in the routes of the vehicles. The second di? erence is that, unlike us, both articles deal with the multi-customer problem authorizing customers to share the same vehicle at the same time. 2. 2. Location issue. The location problem was originally de? ned by Webber when he considered how to position a single warehouse minimizing the total distance between the warehouse and a set of customers [Web29]. In 1964, Hakimi [Hak64] de? nes the P-median problem, the problem consists in determining the best location for a set of limited facilities in order to minimize the sum of the weighted distances between the clients and the facilities serving these clients. The problem increases its relevance during the last decades. High costs related to property acquisition and facility construction make facility location projects a critical aspect of strategic planning for a wide range of private and public ? rms. Indeed, the fact that facility location projects are long-term investments leads the researchers to focus on dynamic and stochastic location problems (see [OD98] for a review of this extension of the problem). Another important variant of the problem is the Capacitated Facility Location Problem (CFLP) where facilities have a constraining upper limit on the amount of demand they can satisfy. An extension of the CFLP closely to our problem is the Capacitated Facility Location Problem with Multiple facilities in the same site (CFLPM). In charging terminal location, the positions of the terminals are not the only decision variables, the number of terminals at each position have to be ? xed too. However, in some real-world applications, selecting the best location for distance minimization is not the best suitable choice. For example, in electric vehicle charging terminal location, like in other critical applications such as ambulance and ? re terminal location, the interest is to guarantee that the di? erent geographic zones are covered by a facility (closer than a previously ?xed covering distance). This class of problems are known as Covering Location Problems (see [WC74], [SVB93] and more recently [VP10] for a complete review of covering problems). In that context, the covering issue can be sometimes modelled as a problem constraint. However, if the covering distance is ? xed to a small value the problem might become unfeasible. The Maximal Covering Location Problem (MCLP) [CR74] locates the facilities in order to maximize the number of covered customers (customers with a distance to the nearest facility smaller than an initial ?xed distance). An extension of the problem is the maximal covering with mandatory closeness problem which imposes a maximal distance (less stringent than the covering distance) between the geographical zones and the nearest facility [CR74]. These covering models implicitly assume that if a geographical zone is covered by a facility then the facility will be always available to serve the demand. However, in some applications, when facilities have a ? xed capacity, being covered is not su? cient to guarantee the demand satisfaction. We ? nd 3 in the literature some models attempting to overcome this issue by maximizing the number of geographical zones covered by multiple facilities [DS81, HR86, GLS97]. 3. Fleet management We describe in this section two ways for managing the ? eet, a classical and rule-based one (Subsection 3. 1), and an improved one trying to address explicitly the charging issue (Subsection 3. 2). Let us ? rst introduce some notations. Let CRi be a booking customer request. Each customer request CRi is de? ned by a start time Si and an origin-destination pair Oi ? Di . The Si is ? xed by the customer when the customer request arrives. The completion time of a trip is Ci = Si + ? Oi Di , where ? Oi Di is the travel time between the origin and destination of the customer request CRi . Finally, let R : CTj be a taxi charging task scheduled on the charging terminal CTj . 3. 1. A classical rule-based taxi dispatching system. A taxi dispatching system based on the principles of the most common real-world systems (see for example [SCMK97], [LWCT04] or [AAR09]) is described in this section. The architecture of the current taxi dispatching systems are very similar to the system illustrated in Figure 1. The two main components of the system are (1) a customer acceptation mechanism deciding for each new customer if it is accepted (the accepted customers are inserted into a queue of customers) or rejected and (2) a rule-based mechanism assigning accepted customer requests (trips) to the free taxis. For each accepted trip i, the assigning process has to start a few minutes (? ) before the ? xed start time (Si ) in order to maximize the chances to ? nd a taxi to attend the demand. Once a trip is assigned to a taxi, the vehicle is automatically blocked and the taximeter begins counting. hal-00721875, version 2 31 Jul 2012 Customer Request Rule? based Customer Acceptation Mechanism Time? ordered queue of customers CRn CR2 CR1 Figure 1. Rule-based taxi dispatching system A rule for customer acceptation using the time windows for the trips already accepted is proposed. The idea is to limit the trips that have to be performed at the same time in order to minimize the number of not served customers and to establish a margin of k vehicles to attend opportunistic customers. For each new customer request CRnew the Algorithm 1 determines if it is accepted or not. Algorithm 1: Rule-based checking for customer acceptation for a margin of k vehicles L = {CR1 , CR2 , . . . , CRn }, list of already accepted customers CRnew , new booking customer request nC 0, number of trips performed at the same time than CRnew foreach CRi of L do if CRi is executed at the same time than CRnew ((Si ? Snew Ci ) or (Snew ? Si Cnew ) then Step 1: Increase the number of customers performed at the same time than CRnew (nC nC + 1) if condition to accept the customer (nC n ? k) then Step 2: Insert CRnew to the list of accepted customers L 4. Once the customer request CRi is accepted, it remains in the queue of customers until Si ? ? (? is usually ? xed around 20 minutes). At that moment, the system automatically starts looking for a free taxi having su? cient charge to operate the trip. If di? erent taxis are available, the system assigns the trip to the taxi minimizing the customer waiting time (a parameterizable not announced customer waiting time can be authorized). In the case of no vacant taxis are available, the system waits for a vehicle to become available. If the waiting time for any request exceeds the authorized maximal customer waiting time ?, the customer request is then canceled. Note that the number of unsatis? ed customers can be reduced by using a more restrictive rule for the customer acceptation mechanism. The main advantage of such a system where no future work is planned is the high degree of independence for taxi drivers. On the other hand, the drawbacks are the underutilization of the ? eet and the lost of e? ciency during the peak hours when most of the companies have to close their booking requests systems in order to avoid unsatis? ed customers. Indeed, some real-world systems do not integrate a customer acceptation mechanism leading, in rush hours, to unsatis?ed customers who had been initially accepted and they are ? nally served with an unannounced and, sometimes, intolerable delay or, eventually, never served at all. Furthermore, the charging tasks of the vehicles cannot be controlled leading to a poor ? eet management with vehicles having di? culties to charge the batteries due to charging terminals saturation. 3. 2. The improved electric vehicle management system. An improved ? eet management system aiming to overcome the weakness of the rule-based taxi dispatching system is proposed in this section. The main objectives of the system are to maximize the number of accepted customers and to minimize the customer waiting time. One of the major issues is how to deal with opportunistic demand. Indeed, this kind of demand is unpredictable and must always be satis? ed, so free taxis must be at any moment able to satisfy the longest trip without running out of charge. This constraint makes the problem considerably more complex forcing the system to provide a mechanism ensuring the feasibility of the already accepted trips each time an opportunistic demand is accepted. The approach proposed consists in maintaining continuously a feasible planning for the taxis and the charging terminals (see Figure 2). Each time a customer asks for a trip, a simple insertion algorithm is run, at the end of which either the trip has been successfully inserted or not. The objective is to assign the customer to the taxi minimizing the customer waiting time (a parameterizable announced customer waiting time can be authorized). If none of the tried delays on the pick-up time leads to a feasible planning, a rescheduling algorithm allowing to reallocate the already accepted customers to the taxis is run. In all these processes, a key routine is often called, namely the charging task manager, which schedules the charging tasks of a taxi, given a planning for the other taxis and the charging terminals. Feasible planning:Temporal and autonomy? related constraints are satisfied Taxi 1 hal-00721875, version 2 31 Jul 2012 Taxi 2 111111 000000 111111 000000 111111 000000 111111 000000 111111 000000 111 000 111 000 CR2 111 000 111 000 CR1 R : CT1 CR4 R : CT2 CR5 VEHICLES Customer Customer Request Acceptation Mechanism Feasible Planning Taxi 000000 n 111111 111111 000000 111111 000000 CR3 R : CT1 111111 000000 111111 000000 1111111111111111111111 0000000000000000000000 Taxi n Taxi 1 CT1 CHARGING TERMINALS CT2 Taxi 2 Figure 2. Customer acceptation mechanism of the electric vehicle management system In the case of an opportunistic demand, which is necessarily accepted, we follow exactly the same scheme except that there is no degree of freedom in the insertion process: the trip is inserted at the front of the planning of the taxi stopped by the customer, and the rescheduling algorithm is also run if it is necessary. 5 3. 2. 1. Insertion algorithm. This algorithm is the ?rst step in order to decide if a new trip CRnew is accepted or not. The objective is to assign the trip to the taxi minimizing the delay on the pick-up time (see Algorithm 2). The algorithm increasely tests the di? erent authorized pick-up times. Once the start time is ? xed, we sequentially try for each vehicle to insert the new request. First the scheduled charging tasks are removed. Then the new request is accepted only if it can be inserted with no constraint violation (the pick-up times of the rest of customers are respected and the current autonomy of the vehicle, without any charging task, is su? cient). In the case that the vehicle autonomy-related constraint is violated, a greedy algorithm trying to schedule a charging task between each pair of trips is proposed. After the charging tasks are inserted, if the taxi is able to perform the trips without running out of charge, then the customer request is also accepted. Algorithm 2: New request insertion algorithm for a maximal authorized delay of ? minutes V = {V1 , V2 , . . . , Vr }, list of taxis CRnew , new booking customer request accepted f alse, variable indicating if the new request is accepted st Snew , start time of the trip while st ? Snew + ?and accepted = f alse do foreach vi of V do Step 1: Delete the charging tasks of the vehicle vi if CRnew starting at st can be inserted in the route of the vehicle vi then if the vehicle autonomy-related constraint is satis? ed then Step 2: CRnew starting at st is inserted in the route of the vehicle vi (accepted true) else Step 3: Insert charging tasks for vi between each pair of trips if the vehicle autonomy-related constraint is satis? ed then Step 2: CRnew starting at st is inserted in the route of the vehicle vi (accepted true) if accepted = f alse then Step 4: Increase the pick-up time for the CRnew (st st + 1) hal-00721875, version 2 31 Jul 2012 3. 2. 2. Rescheduling algorithm. The rescheduling algorithm is proposed when the new customer is still not accepted after the insertion algorithm. As for the insertion algorithm, the goal is to ? nd a new feasible planning for the vehicles integrating the new request CRnew . The main di? erence is that the trips can be reassigned to di? erent vehicles. The problem without taking into account the autonomy-related constraints can be solved in polynomial time [NSZ02]. The idea is to convert the schedule of trips (without the charging tasks) into a graph and to verify using a max ? ow computation that all trips can be performed by the taxis. To construct the network two vertices are considered for each customer request CRi , the ? rst one vi represents the pick-up time and the second one vi the completion time of the customer request. Four dummy vertices are required: 0, 0 , a source s and a sink t. The arcs of the graph are (s, 0), (0 , t), all the (s, vi ), all the (vi , t), all the (vi , vi ), and all the (vi , vj ) such that the customer request CRj can be performed by the same taxi than the customer request CRi and after CRi , that means if Sj ?Ci + ? Di Oj . Except the arcs (s, 0) and (0 , t), they all have a capacity equal to 1. The arcs (s, 0) and (0 , t) have a capacity equal to n. A maximum ? ow computation in this directed graph determines the schedule feasibility and also proposes a new planning for the vehicles respecting the customers pick-up times. The max ? ow computation is integrated in the rescheduling algorithm in order to check the feasibility of the schedule for a given pick-up time st ? [Snew , Snew + ? ] and, if it is the case, to ? nd a reference planning (planning without charging tasks). A local search explores the neighborhood of the reference planning de? ned by the swap and the reallocation operators [Sav92]. Finally, for each explored planning respecting temporal constraints, the greedy algorithm for charging task scheduling is sequentially applied to the taxis that do not satisfy autonomy-related constraints (that is, taxis whose current charge is not enough to perform all 6 the trips assigned to them without adding charging tasks). If a feasible solution is found, the new customer is then accepted. 3. 2. 3. Charging task manager. As we have already seen, the insertion and the rescheduling algorithm constantly runs a greedy algorithm aiming to insert a charging task between each pair of successive trips of the same route. The algorithms proposed to determine if a new charging task can be integrated in a speci? c charging terminal planning are described in this subsection. The main feature of our problem is that the processing time of the new charging task is not ? xed, instead it is a decision variable de?ned between the interval limited by the minimal charging time for a vehicle pmin (customizable parameter) and the maximal charging time corresponding to the time necessary for a full charge. The problem to be solved by the charging terminal manager can be then formally stated as follows. A charging task Ri is de? ned by its time window [ri , di ], where ri is the earliest start time (earliest arrival time to the terminal) and di the latest end time (latest departure time from the terminal). Let pi be the decision variable corresponding to the processing time of the task Ri , then ri ? Si and Si + pi ? di , where Si is the e? ective start time of Ri . Given a feasible schedule of n charging tasks S n = {S1 , S2 , . . . , Sn , } for the charging terminals located at the same geographical position. We are given a new charging task Rn+1 with a time window [rn+1 , dn+1 ] and a processing time pn+1 inside the interval pmin ? pn+1 ? pmax . The problem consists in ? nding a new n+1 feasible schedule S n+1 = {S1 , S2 , . . . , Sn , Sn+1 } maximizing the processing time of the task Rn+1 (whence without changing the processing time of the other tasks). The mechanism tests ? rst a task insertion aiming to ? nd quickly a feasible solution. The complexity of the algorithm for task insertion maximizing the processing time of the new task is O(n) where the start times and completion times of the scheduled jobs are non-decreasing ordered. If no solution is found after the task insertion algorithm, a dichotomous algorithm allowing to reschedule the tasks is proposed in order to ? nd a solution maximizing the processing time of the new task. For each iteration of the algorithm, a satis? ability test based on constraint propagation involving energetic reasoning is ?rst triggered. The goal of the feasibility test is to detect an inconsistency indicating that it is not possible to ? nd a feasible schedule integrating the new task. Finally, if the energetic reasoning is not conclusive a local search algorithm is proposed in order to ? nd a solution. Satis? ability test: Energetic reasoning. A satis? ability test based on constraint propagation involving energetic reasoning is proposed [LE96]. A ? ctitious energy (which has nothing to do with the electricity) is produced by the charging terminals and it is consumed by the charging tasks. We determine the ? ctitious energy consumed by the tasks (Econsumed ) over a time interval ? = [t1 , t2 ] and we compare this ? ctitious energy with the available ? ctitious energy (Eproduced = m ? (t2 ? t1 )). The minimal ? ctitious energy consumed by the tasks in an interval ? = [t1 , t2 ] is: n+1 hal-00721875, version 2 31 Jul 2012 (4) Econsumed = i=1 max{0, min{pi , t2 ? t1 , ri + pi ? t1 , t2 ? di + pi }} If Econsumed Eproduced , it is then impossible to ? nd a feasible schedule S n+1 integrating the new task. The relevant intervals ? for a complete satis? ability analysis can be enumerate in O(n2 ). The test is restricted to the intervals [t1 , t2 ] speci? ed by {ri } ? {di } ? {ri + pi } ? {di ? pi } where the new task Rn+1 may consume (t1 ? dn+1 and t2 ? rn+1 ). Dichotomous algorithm. A dichotomous algorithm maximizing the processing time of the new task is described in this section (see Algorithm 3). A dichotomy is run on the processing time p as follows. For processing times p ? [pmin , pmax ], the satis? ability test based one the energetic reasoning indicates whether n+1 the necessary conditions are satis? ed or not. If it is the case, a local search mechanism tries to ? nd a feasible schedule. The parallel machine scheduling problem with time windows can be solved by a list scheduling algorithm. It means there exists a total ordering of the jobs (i. e. , a list) that, when a given machine assignment rule is applied, reaches the optimal solution. For our problem, this rule consists in allocating each task to the machine that allows it to start at the earliest (Earliest Start Time or EST rule). The local search mechanism proposed to solve the problem is based on this result. First, the tasks are ordered in a non-decreasing order of their due dates (Earliest Due Date or EDD rule), then the local search consists in 7 exploring di?erent permutations of the list de? ned by the insertion neighborhood (O(n2 )). For each list of task, the machines are assigned according to the EST rule in order to reach a feasible solution. If no feasible schedule is eventually found, the request is rejected. Algorithm 3: Dichotomous algorithm for processing time maximization min pmin max pmax n+1 n+1 Sbest ? while min ? max do Step 1: Fix the processing time p of the new task Rn+1 (p min+max ) 2 if Satisf iabilityT est() then Step 2: Sort the tasks according to the EDD rule Step 3: Local search using the insertion operator if a feasible schedule S n+1 = {S1 , S2 , .. . , Sn , Sn+1 } is found then Step 4: Update the lower limit (min p + 1) n+1 Step 5: Update the best solution (Sbest S n+1 ) else Step 6: No solution exists, update the upper limit (max p ? 1) else Step 7: No solution exists, update the upper limit (max p ? 1) n+1 if Sbest = ? then Step 8: No solution is found (return ? ) else n+1 Step 9: A feasible solution is found (return Sbest ) hal-00721875, version 2 31 Jul 2012 4. Electric vehicles charging terminal location The EV charging terminal location problem consists in determining the best locations of the charging terminals. The linear programming model has to take into account two important aspects. First, the charging terminals have to be conveniently spread over the geographical area in order to avoid remote geographical zones which di? cult taxi operability and ? eet management. The second aspect is that the model has to determine the number of charging points facilitating the charging process of the taxis by minimizing the risks of terminals saturation. For these purposes, we propose two models, one called the P -median model, the other the Demand-based model. V is the set of geographical points of the problem and J ? V is the set of potential locations where the charging terminals can be located. The number of terminals is limited to r. 4. 1. P -median model. Following Hakimi [Hak64], we de? ne xj to be the decision variables indicating if a facility is located to the point j and yij to be the variables indicating that the geographical point i is assigned to the facility located in j. The linear program minimizing the sum of the distances between clients and facilities can be written as follows. 8 (5) min i? V j? J distij yij s. t. (6) j? J yij yij xj j? J = 1 for all i ? V ? xj for all i ? V, j ? J ? r ? {0, 1} for all j ? J ? {0, 1} for all i ? V, j ? J (7) (8) (9) (10) xj yij hal-00721875, version 2 31 Jul 2012 4. 2. Demand-based model. Another approach consists in de? ning a model with two distances ? f ar and ? close as proposed by Church and ReVelle [CR74]. The idea is then to spread the terminals by ? xing a maximal distance (? f ar ) between the di? erent geographical zones and the nearest charging terminal and, at the same time, trying to maximize the demand that will be covered by a nearby charging terminal (? close ). We can then de? ne Jif ar (resp. Jiclose ) as the subset of points in J at distance less than ? f ar (resp. ?close ) from i ? V . Conversely, Vjclose is the set of points at distance less than ? close from the point j ? J. Let xj be the decision variable indicating the number of terminals located at point j ? J and yij to be the fraction of the demand di for i ? V covered by a charging terminal located in j at distance less than ? close from i. The linear programming model proposed to solve the problem called Demand-based model is the following. (11) max j? J i? Vjclose di yij s. t. (12) f j? Ji ar xj yij close j? Ji ? 1 for all i ? V ? 1 for all i ? V ? xj for all j ? J ? r ? Z+ for all j ? J ? R+ for all i ? V, j ? Jiclose (13) (14) i? Vjclose di yij xj j? J (15) (16) (17) xj yij The objective function (Eq. (11)) consists in maximizing the pointwise demand covered by a charging terminal considering the distance ? close . Eq. (12) imposes that a geographical zone i ? V must be covered at least for one charging terminal considering the distance ? f ar . Here the mandatory closeness is only required for the geographical zones closer than ? f ar from a potential charging terminal location in order to ? nd a solution even if this constraint is violated for some geographical zones. We stress that an adequately ? f ar make possible to spread the charging terminals over the geographical area. Eq. (13) speci? es that for each geographical zone i ? V the sum of the fractions of demand covered by a charging terminal considering the distance ? close has to be less or equal to the unit.

Health Strategy in New Zealand: External Environment Factors

Health Strategy in New Zealand: External Environment Factors INTRODUCTION Health Strategy for New Zealand expresses the need to reduce health inequalities. Health consultants believe that coordinated action to reduce inequalities in health is needed. New Zealand Health Strategy provides a framework for health care, to improve the overall health of New Zealand, and the differences between the New Zealanders with a focus on Maori, Pacific peoples and compensate low-income New Zealanders. The proper functioning of the health strategy for New Zealand takes an approach to population health. This approach takes into account all factors that provides stimulus and how they are resolved to improve health care. There is a diverse combination of factors like age, sex and congenital factors contribute significantly to our health which are relatively unaffected. Recent advances in medical technology can do some genetic changes, but these advances relate to only a small part of the population. But there are other factors that disrupt our health and independence as we po ssibly loose more control. Its effect on our health can be affected by the change of social behavior, individual lifestyle factors. For example, if we smoke, exercise, how much alcohol we drink and social influences of society. Inequalities like theses in health are important public health problems. (Jefin) Public health care in community: As an operations management team in new age public hospital in central Auckland There is an increases in the cases influenza attended in new age public hospital in central Auckland. In my point of view there is an equal right for getting the health services from the hospitals to community areas. They have the right to receive all the health services from the health care professionals. Everyone should one get the treatment of qualitative care. All the preventive measures should be educated in the community areas. Health promotion, disease prevention, and treatment should give by all health professionals. Our hospital aspires to provide all the health services to community area people. Strongly health education is given to communities. Emergency services is to be provide in the remote areas. Efficient staff is to be increased .health promotion activities should be implemented. Health preventive measures should be guided to the public. Promotional activ ities will be planned and it will be implemented effectively. Some health planning programs should be implemented accurately. Generally health determinants are occurred. Many factors occur together to affect the health of the individuals or communities whether people are healthy or not and it is determined by factors. There is a less impact on health care services. Determinants of health include includes mainly are the social and economic environment, physical environment, and the persons individual characteristics and behaviors. Mainly these things determines the people’s health. Environmental determinants which affects the health are safe water and clean air, healthy work places, safe house, communities and roads contribute the good health conditions to the people. When there is an inequalities arisen in all these factors contribute the ill effects on the people’s health. In community areas safety should be educated and implemented. In work places healthy environment should be placed otherwise there is a chance to get the inequalities of health. Health education and providing health services to the community peoples reduces the inequalities and shows the lessen effects on health. Efficient health services prevents and treat the diseases influences the health. Education plays a key role in the health. Due low education levels are effect the health. This the importance about the environmental inequalities of health. (Sirisha) Part-two Five external general environmental factors affecting the organization directly are as follow : The external environment factors are those which affect the organization ability to function from outside. Customers If the hospital is providing good, satisfactory services, treatment then there will be increase in number of the customers but if we are providing expensive treatment for them ultimately the number will decrease. Government If the government is imposing high taxes on medicines, services, packaging, shipment of medicines, product development ultimately there will be increase in cost of the treatment which leads to decrease in the number of patients. Economy Likewise with most of the components of your doctors facilitys outer surroundings, your clinic must be proficient at observing the economy and figuring out how to respond to it, instead of attempting to control it. Financial variables influence how you give administrations, medications and the amount of cash you force on specific treatment, offices, and the sort of target you will pursue. Competition Your rival has a critical impact on how you work together and how you address your target market. You can decide to discover markets that the opposition is not dynamic in, or you can choose to tackle the opposition straightforwardly in the same target market. The achievement and disappointment of your different rivals likewise decides a part of your showcasing arranging, too. For instance, if a long-term rival in a specific market all of a sudden chooses to drop out because of monetary misfortunes, then you will need to modify your wanting to exploit the circumstance. Public Opinion Any sort of company outrage can be hurtful to your associations picture. People in general familiarity with your association can hurt deals its contrary, or it can help deals with constructive firm news. Your firm can impact popular assessment by utilizing advertising experts to discharge vital data, yet it is additionally critical to screen general feeling to attempt and defuse potential issues before they start to spread. (SURAJ) Organizational culture Culture of an organization will tell the personality of that organization and it is the key factor in productivity and workplace performance. All organization follows a corporate culture. The members who all are working in the organization are the main components in organizational culture and they are formulating a healthy culture for their organization .organizational culture includes its expectations, experiences, philosophy and values that they keeping from a long time. All organization follows a corporate culture but it vary from one organization to other. For example, the culture of a large profit organization is totally different than that of a hospital .Our hospital culture is totally depend on patient. Understanding security has turned into a real need to policymakers, medicinal services suppliers and administrators. Affecting a solid patient security society is crucial for advancing this idea among human services experts and managing this idea in health awareness associations. Making patient wellbeing culture a top need is dependent on having a solid and positive patient security society. A few segments of a solid patient wellbeing society incorporate open correspondence, collaboration, and recognized shared reliance. Surveying a health awareness associations patient wellbeing society is the first venture for adding to a solid and strong security society. Mirroring that, numerous worldwide accreditation associations now oblige tolerant security society evaluations to assess the view of health awareness staff on issues, for example, cooperation, moves made by administration and initiative to bolster and advance patient wellbeing, staffing issues, recurrence of episode reporting, an d other patient security society issues. Such appraisals permit human services associations to get an unmistakable perspective of territories obliging consideration regarding reinforce their patient wellbeing culture and distinguish particular difficulties identifying with patient security inside healing facility units. An enormous piece of the answer is society. You can hand guardians an agenda or strengthen the significance of hand-washing, yet unless the work environment is willing to grasp the progressions needed to viably and reliably utilize it, the exertion will probably fizzle. It is the point at which you begin taking a gander at patient wellbeing through the viewpoint of society that you acknowledge how genuinely difficult this work is. We at the Center for Innovation comprehend and have perceived how working environment demeanor encompassing wellbeing can have a significant effect on results of consideration. Security related demeanor, when measured with a legitimate, dependable device, can foresee such clinical results as clinic gained contaminations and bedsores, and additionally operational results including attendant turnover. Society doesnt change overnight, yet it does react to viable intercessions, and we at the Center for Innovation are talented at utilizing instruments both to gauge society and to enhance it. Other culture that fit in our organization Quality care Mostly the hospital are known by the care given by them to the clients. The clients are believing in the management of hospital and they are depending the hospital to cure their disease. It is the responsibility of hospital and staff that assure quality of care to the clients who depend on them. When a hospital provide better care for the patients , the patients are getting cured and there is a chance to get preference for the hospital through that the hospital can increase their economy. Patient satisfaction Hospital leaders increasingly recognize the connection between their cultures and patient satisfaction, some medical specialists and nurses have to make a strong emotional involvement with patients and better treatment and care will create satisfaction on patients and they put some belief on them. So the health professionals should be in the path of patient centric. (Jefin) External environment Factors are as follow: Rise of sophisticated consumers: the clients and suppliers utilize bargaining position for organization’s price, quality and efficiency. Nowadays patient can get information easily from internet. Accrediting bodies: like Phil health, HMO’s and International Accreditation like Joint Commission International play a big role in public accountability which ultimately increases competition in health care delivery. Challenging evolution in healthcare delivery: change in the boundaries like surgeries done in outpatient settings, homecare, health and internet, satellite clinics and laboratories in the mall. Technological Changes: IT and Molecular biology are utilized to improve the laboratory diagnosis and reduce the cost of treatment. Research and Development: New tools and knowledge are generated which are helpful for healthcare consumers. Government policy changes and regulatory influences External Communications: The way the hospital staff member or doctors behave with the patients, treatment, services affect directly. If the services, treatment is good more customer will be there which increase the profit. Infrastructure: If the hospital is at good location with good services there will be more interaction with the peoples and will have good profits. (SURAJ) POWER Power makes the world better .Power plays a vital role in the organization to get a better outcome .It develops our career and future .Normally power depending on the person and how the power is used by him ., Power has some pros and corns while in the using..Of course if we have more power we need to handle carefully. Everyone has a power. It will help us to make a right decision and solve the problem which is normally we are facing in the day to day life.. The five types of social power are following. LEGITIMATE POWER. This is the positional power and that is given to a person based up on their position in the organization. It is given by the authority of the organization We can not afford this power simply ,by getting this power we need to increase our personal power like referent and expert power .Legitimate power is the formal authority to control and use the resources available in the organization. COERCIVE POWER In this power the employees will obey the leader in order to avoid punishments., because they believe that they are under controlled by the leader. EXPERT POWER Expert power is influences getting from as a result of expertise. Or any special skill , or knowledge from a person .For example ,when we have the more complicated work ,we normally dependent on experts to finish our goals, as a result of their special knowledge or a skill on particular task. REWARD POWER In reward power the employees will comply the leader, because it produces positive benefits for them and this power encourage the employees to meet their work goals. REFERENT POWER In this power the employees will act accordance with leader because the employees admires or agree the with the leader who has desirable resources or personal skills .For example, if the employee respect the leader ,and like him all the way. So the leader can exercise power over the employee ,because the employee need to please him. I would like to select the legitimate power from the five source of power available in the organization why because of, the professionalism . in that the employees know who is the leader in my hospital and I can tell employees as a leader how they can reach the goals .Also I have the authority to control employees and the power to use the organizational tools based on my position in the hospital. With my legitimate power, I can make a two main principal strategies to control the outbreak of influenza, such as therapeutic counter measures and public health interventions .In hospital according to the availability of the stock I can ordered to the staff to give some vaccines and antiviral medications to the patients who is suffering from influenza and look after their health by providing some preventive measures to protect them from the infection. And another strategies for the public is infection control , and some social separation to prevent the spreading of the infection and also offer some anti-viral treatments for who is suffering with infections. As a leader should identify essential functions and assign responsibilities for the staff and re assign staff to support the urgent functions as needed during the time of epidemic .Ensure the list of expert staff to perform critical functions is regularly updated before the epidemic outbreak. THE GOOD AND BAD POLITICAL ASPECTS IN AN ORGANIZATION. There are many definitions for the organizational politics butIthinkit is all about organizational power; how we can get it and; how we use it to influence the employees while implementing our own agenda. There are some good and bad political aspects affecting our organization. The positive side of the organizational politics such as organizational flexibility, promotion of multiple perspectives, meritocracy, change of the facilities and implementation of the decision. While in use of politics we can improve the speed of influence and flexibility of our organization. Politics can help to sort out the issues in the organization. Politics can be used for improving the changes that is blocked by the normal influences and also it will help to implement the new decision. Whereas the negative political aspects affecting our organization are Inequality, discrimination and unfairness, distorted decision making, ignore interest of stake holders, inefficiency and time wasting and unequal power distribution. Political activity in our organization tends to form a groups and out groups and there is a chance to ignore the interest of the minor group. Due to political influences the decision strateg y can be lessened. Some individuals or groups can play or show their maximum power in the organization due to politics while others stake holder’s power are ignored. Power corrupts once tasted there is a chance to repeat. The use of political behavior create a taste of power and some times which can lead to a one direction. Bad politics is always spend more time in extensive lobbying and making a relationships which is not necessary for the organization. References: Promoting public health and wellbeing in your community, (2010).retrieved from www.pha.org.nz//How-to-promote-public-health-in-your-community. https://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/publications/reducineqal.pdf George N. Root III, Demand Media. Five Components of an Organizations External Environment. Retrieved on April 2, 2015, from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/five-components-organizations-external-environment-17634.html Linda Ray, Demand Media. Seven External Factors of Business. Retrieved on April 2, 2015, from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/seven-external-factors-business-21960.html Jennifer Malabrigo. Strategic Management Paper Hospital industry analysis. Retrieved on April 2, 2015, from http://www.slideshare.net/ironswordlady/hospital-industry-analysis-by-jenny-malabrigo UNHCR The UN Refugee Agency.(2011). Epidemic Preparedness and Response in Refugee Camp Settings :Guidance for Public Health Officers. Retrieved on March 28,2015, from http://www.unhcr.org/4f707f509.pdf McAlpin,K,Maurik,J.V., (2012) .Organizational Politics. Retrieved on March 28,2015, from http://www.performancecoachinginternational.com/resources/articles/organisationalpolitics.php WasielewskI , J .(2014, November 12). The 5 sources of power in an organization. . Retrieved on March 28,2015, from http://blog.clickmeeting.com/5-sources-power-organization Merchant, P.(2005). 5 Sources of power in an organization. Retried on March 27,2015, from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/5-sources-power-organizations-14467.html

Rereading Atwoods Surfacing :: Atwood Surfacing Essays

Rereading Atwood's Surfacing The class touched on a multitude of different subjects during the class time for the second discussion of the novel, Surfacing. These discussions were much deeper than the previous one, asking questions on motivation and symbolism rather than plot and language. Two of the most popular subjects were characterization and the validity of the narrator and the information she gives the reader. Other topics were discussed including religion, the bird motif that has appeared throughout our readings this semester, and the narrator's artistic frustration among many others. To begin with one of the most prominent subjects, the class discussed character-ization at length. Many students wondered what the narrator's friends added to the story, whether they were symbolic of something, reflections of the narrator's characteristics, or representatives of other individuals. Daniel suggested that the narrator was projecting the identities of her parents onto her friends. For instance, David was representative of the narrator's brother ("fascist pig yanks") with his militancy and Joe was the narrator's father, capable of love and close to her heart. Erin echoed this idea, saying that Anna was representative of the narrator's mother who concealed all of her pain and unhappiness throughout the story. Other students, though, had different ideas. Stephanie thought that the narrator's friends were symbolic, Joe as nature, David as the city, and Anna as the "icky" things about being a girl. As these were discussed, other ideas "surfaced" and the narrator's brother was thought to represent absolutism while her mother, like Joe, represented nature. Judy expanded on this, saying that David was perhaps representative of the narrator's previous lover. All of these ideas were well backed and well stated, leaving each individual student to decide which characters represented who or what. Another topic that was discussed at length was the narrator herself. In Forum II, Mandy began by questioning the narrator's humanness and what, exactly, constitutes being human. The discussion picked up these thoughts and began to question whether the narrator was actually domesticated or wild. She cooks and cleans for the others, taking care of them basically the whole time, but it was argued that she seemed to be hardly one predisposed to subservience.

Summer at the Cabin :: Descriptive Essay About A Place

Summer at the Cabin The cabin was built in the 1950's when my Great Grandpa rode up there, and it looks like not many repairs have been made since that time. The cabin is about 15 feet by 20 feet, and is made out of pine logs. There are places where you can see between the logs because the chinking is falling out. The cabin faces to the east. It has a small porch that was made by leaving the first four logs of the cabin about six feet longer than the rest. There is a small set of corrals in front of the cabin. There is an old shed to the north of the cabin, and the outhouse is behind it. The porch has a hole in it where a horse stepped through it when someone forgot to put the chain across the doorway. In the rafters hang old horseshoes that we tack on when one of our horses loses a shoe. Half the porch is cluttered with tools, shovels jacks, chains, shoeing equipment and an axe. The other half is full of firewood. The only electric thing in the cabin is the phone. Propane or wood runs everything else. There is only one propane light in the cabin. To light the rest we use Coleman lanterns. There isn't any running water in the cabin so we have to haul water. The floor to the cabin is made out of scrap lumber. It used to be rough, but has been worn smooth with time. There are places where it has rotted out and has been patched. There are also places that have been burned by sparks from the two stoves, and people spilling the ashes. Inside the cabin, behind the door, is a long bench we stack pop, canned stew, and many other things on. In the corner is the dog food, which we keep inside so the squirrels and birds don't get it. However that doesn't stop the mice. At night you can hear them run across the floor and into the sack. We trapped mice for three weeks before we stopped hearing them at night. A large hand made table is pushed against the left wall of the cabin. This is where we eat and play cards. I also sleep under the table at night because it is the only open space. At each end of the table is a homemade chair, and for the length of the table is an old bench.

Blurred Boundaries in Susan Glaspells Trifles :: Trifles Essays

Blurred Boundaries in Trifles  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   In her landmark feminist play, "Trifles," Susan Glaspell offers a peek at the complicated political and social systems that both silenced and divided women during their struggle for equality with men. In this simple but highly symbolic tale, a farmer's wife, Minnie Wright, is accused of strangling her husband to death. The county attorney, the sheriff, a local farmer, the sheriff's wife and the farmer's wife visit Minnie's farm house. As the men "look for clues," the women survey Minnie's domestic environment. While the men scoff at the women's interest in what they call "trifles," the women discover Minnie's strangled bird to realize that Minnie's husband had killed the bird and Minnie had, in turn, killed him. They bond in acknowledgment that women "all go through the same things--it's all just different kind of the same thing" (1076). As their horror builds and the women unravel the murder, they agree to cooperate with one another, conspiring to protect Minnie against the men by hiding the incriminating "evidence." Women's slow reluctance to cooperate across class even in the face of male oppression, as depicted in Glaspell's play, symbolizes the difficulty women had in creating a united "cross class sisterhood" when struggling for suffrage during the Gilded Age. This class conflict was exacerbated by the socio-economic dynamics of the day. Middle class women often employed working class women in their homes as servants. Employing women with hypothetically oppressive wages in their "private lives," while at the same time fighting for the economic freedom of all women in their "public lives" placed middle class women in a hypocritical bind. As historian Lois Banner reports, "In the 1900s and 1910s there was an outpouring of writings on the so-called servant problem--the shortage of women willing to work as cooks and maids. . . .It was not simply that they [servants] were expected to be paid long hours and were not well paid; they were subject to the whims and status anxieties of their mistresses " (52). The control that middle class women reportedly bestowed upon their domestic laborers extended into the larger picture; much of middle class club work focused on the "reform" of working class women. The imposition of middle class values onto working class and black women's lives alienated these women--making the feelings of sisterhood necessary for solidarity, nearly impossible. As historian Nancy Hewitt explains, "When 'true women' [i.

Study Tour Report to Germany on the Theme Industrial Relations, Labour Productivity and National Development

Historical and theoretical perspectives on industrial relations, labour productivity and national development Industrial relations grew out of the need for workers to join forces and present their grievances to the employers as a unified force. Kuhn (2006, p.23) suggests that everyone who earns income through work or is involved in the management of workers is immersed in the practice of industrial relations. Changes in industrial relations and the quality of employment relationships have an effect on the productivity of an organisation. In addition to this, the terms and conditions of employment have a direct effect on the workers’ quality of life both in and out of the organisational premises. If the quality of life lead by the workers is poor, then this will be transferred to their productivity at work as they will not be able to perform at the highest level regardless of the mechanisms that the employer puts in place to maximise production (Kuznetsov, Dahlman, & World Bank Institute 2008, p.31). Generally most people get to know the meaning of the term industrial relations long be fore they even get into employment. This knowledge partly comes from its daily use by friends, family and the media both of which try to present industrial relations as events that involve trade unions and conflict incidents. However this meaning is not the right one because it makes people perceive industrial relations as a rebellious movement which is not actually the case. This is why it is necessary to first ascertain a clear and useful definition of ‘industrial relations’ before considering the debate in more depth. . Korres (2008, p. 21) defines industrial relations as the interaction of people and organisations in the work place. Industrial relations is concerned with how people, groups, institutions and organisations make decisions that regulate or shape the relationships between employees and employees, employees and employers, and trade unions and employers. Therefore industrial relations are concerned with the working life, society and the national economy. T he main purpose of industrial relations is to provide a conceptual framework for ensuring that the different relationships at the organisational level run smoothly. Welfe (2009, p.56) asserts that industrial relations can be analysed using three major theoretical perspectives namely unitary, pluralist and Marxist. All of these perspectives interpret workplace conflicts, role of trade unions and variations in job regulations uniquely in order to generate solutions. The unitary theory perceives organisations as an integrated unit with all the members working towards the achievement of common objectives. There is only one source of authority which is the management, trade unions are perceived as being unnecessary (Kuznetsov, Dahlman, & World Bank Institute 2008, p. 88). The pluralist theory regards organisations as being comprised of powerful and divergent groups which are the trade unions and the management. These two groups have their own legitimate loyalties and objectives. The plur alists consider the conflict of interest and disagreement between the two groups as inevitable. Trade unions are therefore regarded as legitimate representatives of workers charged with the responsibility of bargaining for their interests. The Marxist theory sees fundamental divisions of interest between labour and capital in organisations. The inequalities of economic wealth and power are products of the capitalist system (Kattel & Kalvet, 2006, p. 38). The Marxist perspective stresses that organisational conflict is necessary and it arises from the inequitable distribution of resources. The political economy of industrial relations, labour productivity and national development Leydesdorff (2006, p. 99) says that trade unions have had inextricable links with political parties and movements in different countries. Although some states have over time managed to decentralise trade unions from national politics, others are still struggling to do so. Even in countries like India where labour movements and politics have had intricate associations in the past, independent unions are now increasingly emerging (International Conference on Computer Processing of Oriental Languages, Li & Molla?-Aliod 2009, p. 95). Owing to the historical relationship between politics and trade unionism, labour strikes seem to increase during periods of political instability. During these periods, the unions often have a tendency of displaying increased militancy as a way of offering assurance to the members that their demands will be met using all possible means. Such an assurance acts as an added incentive for the employers to join the unions. The trade unions however, in most cases distance themselves away from any acts of militarism terming it as a media ploy to negatively present their motives. Most trade unions hold the view that the media should clearly differentiate individual criminal acts from the violence that is sponsored by the unions (Llerena, Matt, & Avadikyan 2005, p. 121). Regarding the opinions held by the employers that the trade unions are heavily politicised, the trade unions believe that their employers use their political connections as leverage against workers with dissenting opinions. The unions believe that even before the employers sit down with the unions to listen to their grievances, they always have a tendency of finding out the political inclination of the dissenting workers and then hold talks with the relevant political heads. Such tendencies make it difficult for the negotiation process because collective bargaining is often compromised. Menkhoff (2011, p.77) asserts that politics and unionism have always gone together but the e ffects of the association are gross in unstable political environments as they in most cases lead to industrial disputes. Regulatory and institutional frameworks for labour and national productivity Industrial relations still has a very significant role to play in the social protection of workers in the 21st century. The adoption of protection tariffs along with restrictions on immigration plays a major role towards the establishment of legal systems for regulating labour in order to help the workers. For instance regulations that are explicitly connected to industrial policies like tariff protection with standards of labour in the form of determining the minimum wage for workers have a direct effect on industrial relations (Weiss & Schmidt 2008, p. 63). The proponents of such mechanisms are in most cases concerned with investment and social protection of workers as well as the profits of the businesses being protected. Therefore this confirms the argument that regulation of labour has both social and economic justifications. Protection regulations can stimulate labour demands in a country through policy formulation and successful implementation. Policies that increase the deman d for labour also influence the type and pattern of jobs available within a country (Blanpain & Baker 2010, p. 44). Countries like Germany, Japan and Australia pursued protectionist industrial policies in the form of active tariff and non-tariff during their key phases of industrialisation in order to facilitate development (Thornley, Jefferys, & Appay, 2010, p. 55). In addition to this, most industrialised states maintained their tariff protections until the 1980’s to help them in maintain social protection systems that include traditional labour laws. Lipsey (2006, p. 54) says that industrialised countries also use extensive procurement systems as another form of industrial policy for regulating labour standards of employees of organisations that benefit from government contracts. Therefore in such countries industrial policies have an influence on labour laws and labour market developments. However such interventions are not limited to the developed countries only because even the developing countries use industrial policies as means of fostering economic development and job growth. Bamber (2010, p. 33) asserts that industrial regulations have been curtailed by the Washington consensus since the 1980’s. This consensus holds that all nation states should pursue industrial development and alleviation of poverty through strategies of trade liberalisation and deregulation of the labour market. This implies that the developing nations should implement free trade and laissez faire industrial policies, introduce greater flexibility in regulating employment to lower the costs of hiring and firing employees to attain economic growth (Moreau & Blas-Lo?pez 2008, p. 96). Some people criticise this method as a slower way of attaining economic development in preference for industrial regulation where states pursue development through stimulating economic growth by creating quality jobs in sustainable industry. The proponents of free trade perceive industria lisation strategies that involve active state involvement in promoting economic activities as being detrimental to economic growth. The opponents on the other hand think that active industrial policies are important in attaining economic development and high living standards of the industrialised countries (Blyton, Sage Publications., & Sage eReference 2008, p. 85). Indeed the dominance of trade liberalisation as a strategy for industrialisation is unfair to the developing countries as it denies them the chance to enjoy the benefits that come with cushioning their states against the adverse effects of market exposure as was done by the developed countries in the past. The industrialised countries achieved development under different conditions from those of free trade and without industrial policy. Srivastava (2007, p. 86) suggests that trade liberation is only one among the many industrialisation strategies that the developing countries might opt to pursue. Most developed and devel oping countries pursue economic policies that involve active promotion of innovation as a means of attaining industrialisation. However, at this level it is critical to note that the practice and analysis of industrial policy is increasingly becoming very sophisticated. In terms of promoting industrial development, the current industrial policies are less focused on picking winners and tariff protection i.e. the government selection of specific industries that it considers as being more sustainable and in line with the local conditions of the labour market and business expertise over others . Although this is still prevalent in some countries most current industrial policies are directed through horizontal measures that promote innovation and competitiveness across certain regions or economies rather than being confined to certain specific preferred sectors. Much of debates on the role of industrial policy in both the developing and industrialised countries are concerned with the se lection of an appropriate path to economic development. According to Singh (2008, p. 62), there is a strong correlation between industrialisation strategy, industrial policy and traditional labour laws in the new protection policies of most developing countries. Comparative studies of labour market in southern Africa and East Asia reveal that countries will endeavour to structure their regulations on industrial relations to be in line with the industrialisation strategies that they are pursuing (Dowling, Festing, & Engle, 2008, p. 12). For instance in East Asia most of the states have been able to progress through the industrialisation stages from import substitution to export oriented and finally higher value oriented exports. This implies that the strategies for industrial relations in these countries reflect the different strategies being pursued by the state. Trade liberalisation strategies that are export oriented often have different effects for labour regulation and practices of industrial relations compared to the more protective import replacement strategies. Therefore states rely on export oriented strategies when selling products that are labour oriented where low costs of labour and production are the main sources of competitive advantage (Thornley, Jefferys, & Appay, 2010, p. 87). For instance the export oriented industrialisation strategy of Singapore compelled it to promote workplace flexibility by placing restrictions on aspects like enterprise bargaining and containing industrial disputes by restricting the employees’ right to strike. Bhatia (2008, p. 71) notes that the states that have pursued more inward oriented industrialisation strategies often have tolerance for stronger labour protections. However it should be noted that many variations of these simplified categories exist and as such it is not possible to make the conclusion that export oriented strategies are associated with low labour standards and downward pressure on labour protections than the policies that are inward oriented. However, one thing that remains certain is that there are connections between industrial policy of a country and the labour law settings. In the context of labour management regulation, industrial policy contributes to both the constitution and regulation of labour market through its effects on labour supply and demand as well as the industrial working conditions. Additionally, from a normative perspective the settings of industrial policy have a great significance on economic development of a state and consequently the social protection and quality of life. Therefore the impact of regulation of labour on industrial relations is dependent on the nature of policies chosen by the nation states. For instance states that opt to pursue government delivery of goods and services whether through monopolies or as competitor with the private sector will offer the workers more secure jobs than those of the private sector (Thornley, Jeffer ys, & Appay, 2010, p.74). However, a large amount of these public jobs often have negative impacts on the working conditions across the economy. It is therefore recommended that states should use regulations that will maintain the existing structures or facilitate structural adjustments through assisting the industries that will open up new opportunities by attracting new investments and innovation. Impact of science, technology and innovation on industrial relations, labour productivity and national development The industrial relations system pursued by a state has a direct effect on all the four elements of innovation which are: motive, content, process and outcome. The intentions behind innovation may include reduction of costs of production through decreasing the amount or quality of labour, promoting more flexible and creative use of labour and encouraging management control over labour. Dinius (2010, p. 66) claims that the contents of the innovation process itself may call for changes in the level of skills and need to accommodate the prevailing structures of industrial relations. The innovation process needs to consider the social organisation, trade unions, work groups and the physical form of the production process. In essence the outcomes of innovation are functions of industrial relations at both the individual and collective levels. Innovation on the other hand affects all the five features of industrial relations which are: work, tasks, pay, work organisation, employment levels and union organisation (Dowling, Festing, & Engle, 2008, p.38). Innovation leads to an increase in the level of skills required for completing tasks more than it reduces it. Innovation may also result to an increased responsibility especially if the increased value is closely monitored by equipment and is meant to increase organisational competitive advantage. Innovation may require the employees to widen their level of skills in order to be able to adapt to the new tasks. In most cases it calls for expansion of intellectual skills and manual skill reduction due to automation of most of the processes. The overall effect of innovation on industrial relations is that it mostly leads to an increase in the proportion of skilled workers in the labour force especially in private manufacturing. Globalisation and corporate governance: the dynamics of industrial relations and labour productivity in national development Howell (2005, p. 75) asserts that globalisation leads to the liberalisation of world economies. The liberalisation of economies has made many organisations to make structural adjustments for improving operational efficiency. The increased pressure from the public has forced business enterprises to operate within higher ethical standards and take more social responsibility. The organisations from the developed economies are in most cases required by law to observe non-discriminatory policies in hiring, treatment and paying of all workers (Kattel & Kalvet, 2006, p. 33). However as far as recruitment is concerned, globalisation is pushing organisations into recruiting managers and workers with high skills conforming to the international standards in their host countries. Globalisation and corporate governance have led to certain structural adjustments in terms of diversifications and restructuring both of which have resulted into cutting off of some jobs and recession in the job industr y. The trade unions then started to raise concerns about job losses and the adverse effects on work dynamics and their rights in some countries like India (Blyton, Sage Publications., & Sage eReference 2008, p.52). The same wave was echoed in countries like Japan and South Korea where workers formed industrial unions to counter the impacts of globalisation on their economies. These unions managed to negotiate for employment terms and working conditions as well as the payment rates. Generally, globalisation and corporate governance came into existence at a time when trade unionism was fading off in most countries. However globalisation has contributed to the deterioration of labour standards and strengthened the capital bargaining power while reducing the bargaining power of labour. Industrial relations and labour productivity: challenges and opportunities for defence and national security Industrial relations often affect the labour productivity because it contains the attitudes of the management and workers towards each other and the work itself. As such, industrial relations affect organisational productivity both directly and indirectly through variables like motivation of workers, managerial competence and institutional backup. The concept of industrial relations encompasses the interactions that occur between the employees and the employers in an organisation. The nature of this relationship has an effect on the production process because poorly motivated workers for instance have an increased tendency of not performing at their optimal levels (Kuznetsov, Dahlman, & World Bank Institute 2008, p. 61). McCallum (2008, p. 72) claims that organisational productivity is a function of the morale of the workers. For this productivity to remain on the higher side, it is important that the morale of the workers be kept at the highest possible level. Failure to motivate th e morale of the workers will result in a drop in both quality and quantity of organisational productivity. In fact Hardy (2011, p. 13) supports this position by suggesting that employee morale and productivity always go together. Therefore industrial relations as a factor that affects organisational productivity influences the production process in many ways. For example during times of industrial disputes or when the employees are on a go slow, productivity will not be affected in terms of loss of labour alone because there are other incessant work stoppages, machines and other variable and fixed capitals will not be fully utilised and this will result in low level of output and raise the average cost. The refusal to work in overtime by the trade unions also results in loss of revenue because overtime is meant to increase organisational production capacity. Strength, weakness, opportunities and threats of Germany The SWOT analysis is a strategic management tool used for identifying and categorising the significant internal (strengths and weaknesses) and external (opportunities and threats) factors that face an organisation, territory, city or even a country (Bhatia 2008, p. 55). The analysis provides strategic data that can be used in matching organisational resources with the competitive environment in which it is operating. This matching is of importance in making strategic decisions for optimising organisational performance. Struck (2011, p. 31) suggests that the SWOT analysis is important in helping the organisations to direct their actions to match the strengths with opportunities presented by the environment and ward off the threats as well as seek ways of overcoming the weaknesses. Then analysis id not a foresight approach but just a good starting point for strategic decision making which organisations can use in designing and positioning products and services . The following section a nalyses the SWOT of Germany. The findings reveal that despite its strength in areas like ability to innovate, great willingness to engage in self-directed training and good infrastructure, the country still has some serious weaknesses to overcome. These problems arise mainly from the education sector such as schools adoption and use of new information and communication technology tools and high levels of unemployment. Germany has its own strong areas especially regarding the implementation of knowledge in the society. The country has a flexible, well trained and innovative workface. In addition to this the society has very little income disparities and good quality of life. However because of the aforementioned weaknesses, the country runs the risk of having a poorly educated workforce in the future which could negatively impact its innovation ability and economic strength. Furthermore, the high rates of unemployment will continue to prevent economic growth. Strengths Ability to innovate Good access to broadband Flexible terms of work which is acceptable to many Weaknesses A weak education system that is lagging behind in terms of adapting and using new information technology tools Rising rates of unemployment Opportunities Good quality of life Flexible and well trained workforce Little income disparities Threats High rates of unemployment is limiting economic growth The new generation workforce is poorly educated Conclusion This paper has discussed the importance of industrial relations and its effects on the production process and the economy of a country. The findings reveal that good industrial relations are a prerequisite for industrial development because in its absence, the workers will lack the necessary motivation and the morale that they require to be able to produce at the optimal levels. Globalisation and corporate governance are changing industrial relations across the globe and as such it is wise for countries to invest in education and innovation so that their employees can meet the demands of the international labour standards. Recommendation and implementation strategies With the continued advancement of the effects of globalisation, past mechanisms like labour regulations are increasingly being rendered irrelevant. Therefore countries need to invest in empowering their workforce with the appropriate skills required for innovation and productivity through their education systems. 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